Story

Description

Freaked out by all the demands that go along with now being in the fourth grade, the boys enlist the help of two college kids (and Star Trek nuts) to transport them back to the third grade. To do this, the nerds rig a time machine out of Timmy's wheelchair. The class is set to be transported back to happier times but instead of opening a time portal, it simply takes off at high speed -- with Timmy on it. After they discover Timmy's chair will explode if his speed drops below 5 mph, the kids run after Timmy to try to help him .

It's the last straw for the boys' new teacher, Ms. Choksondik. She seeks out how to handle the students from Mr. Garrison, who now lives as a hermit in the mountains.. In the process of teaching her how to cope, he has a mystical encounter that helps him to finally accept the fact that he's gay.

In the meantime the police manage to disarm the explosive potential of Timmy's wheelchair, which thenactually becomes a working time machine and hurtles him into the past. The class has the Star Trek nerds open another time doorway, but Ms. Choksondik prevents their departure by telling them that life is about going forward, not reliving the past.

The time portal belches out Timmy before it closes. He's obviously been all over history, but of course can't say a word about his travels. Mr. Garrison comes down from the mountains, admits to Principal Victoria that he's gay and asks for his job back. He's told the school doesn't hire gay people.

What I Learned Today

"Life isn't about going back, it's about going forward. Yes, there are times in our lives that we wish we could relive, but, if we've already lived them perfectly, why live them again? The adventure of life is that there's always something new, new challenges, new experiences.

A fun game is a game that gets harder as it goes, so it is with life."

Characters

Character Debuts

Ms. Choksondik. The boys, somehow missing her name's double entendre, insist on referring to her as "Ms. Makes-me-sick." Every time she lifts her arms, a couple of inches of her enormous, grotesque breasts poke out from the bottom of her shirt. Because of this, little kittens start following her around.

We are also introduced to two Star Trek Geeks, who actually are able to build a time machine.

Body Count

Kenny, dragged to his death while trying to deactivate Timmy's runaway chair. The wheeled cart that he uses to try to effect a rescue is an homage to the one used by Keanu Reeves in Speed. After he's killed, Stan simply says, "Who didn't see that coming?"

Locations

Original Songs

Cartman sings the tearful, heartfelt piano ode to "3rd Grade", which winds up making Clyde cry.

Behind The Scenes

Where Did The Idea Come From

Matt and Trey decided to move the boys into fourth grade because it was "just something to do."

Pop Culture References

Shout Outs

Mr. Garrison's novel, In The Valley of Penises, is hailed as the greatest homoerotic novel since Huckleberry Finn. Also, Cartman says "Ah Ha! Charade you are, teacher!" to Ms. Choksondik. It's his second use of the phrase, which comes from the Pink Floyd song Pigs (Three Different Ones). The first reference was in "Cat Orgy". Finally, when Mr. Garrison shouts, "Damn you spirit, haunt me no longer!" he's referencing a line from Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

The Star Trek Geeks that help the boys time travel are constantly referencing various Star Trek quotes and plot lines. Most notably, the line on their shirt reads "Resistance is futile", a popular catchphrase used by the Borg in the TV show. They also argue over Battlestar Galactica, and eventually start a fist fight over it.

Bonus Factoids

Pointless Observations

The two nerds who build the time machine argue ceaselessly about how many episodes of the original Stark Trek series were filmed -- 73 or 72. Both are incorrect. There are 79 total episodes.
For their entry into 4th grade, Parker and Stone introduced a totally redone, high-energy, technology-infused opening to the show, complete with Timmy.

Inside the Tree of Insight, Garrison finally comes face to face with his gay side. From this point forward, he embraces his true self until he gets a vaginoplasty and becomes a woman in "Mr. Garrison's Fancy New Vagina".

Wiki

General

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